Dehydroepiandrosterone (.DELTA.5-androstene 3.beta.-hydroxy, 17-one) (hereinafter referenced as DHEA) is a natural steroid produced in the adrenal glands, testes and brain. Dehydroepiandrosterone is an intermediate in the biosynthetic production of estrogen and androgen (sex hormones) from 17.alpha.-hydroxy pregnenolone.
Treatment with DHEA is believed to stimulate various biological responses including promoting weight loss and inducing an increase in the production of the sex hormones androgen and estrogen.
The ability of DHEA to promote weight control is believed to be mediated through enhanced thermogenesis (conversion to heat energy rather than chemical energy such as ATP and/or triacylglycerides). The thermogenic effect of DHEA is believed to result from a stimulation in the synthesis of liver thermogenic enzymes such as mitochondrial glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3P-DH) and cytosolic malic enzyme (ME) which tend to reduce the efficiency of energy metabolism.
Unfortunately, DHEA is not useful as a therapeutic agent for controlling weight gain/promoting weight loss because the dose rate of DHEA necessary to achieve these desired characteristics may also stimulate the production of sex hormones which is associated with various undesired side effects.
Accordingly, a therapeutic agent possessing the weight loss characteristic of DHEA without the associated sex hormone stimulating characteristic would be extremely useful.